


A Single Man

by phalangine



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M, Meet-Ugly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-02 16:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11513124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phalangine/pseuds/phalangine
Summary: A series of unrelated Pride & Prejudice AUs.





	A Single Man

**Author's Note:**

> yet again, y'all can blame karikes for this. she sent me a tumblr post of pride and prejudice inspired meet-ugly scenarios and challenged me to write all of them.
> 
> the title is from the first line of p&p

**i.**

James Kirk loves a dance. Spock knows this. His closest friend is a gregarious man, as open and inviting as Spock is not. Spock knew when Jim invited him to come along to his estate that there would be some sort of dancing involved.

He just had not expected so many people to attend.

The house and the grounds are packed, and Spock can already sense that he is going to be forced to join in the festivities. Following Jim around and being introduced as an eligible bachelor is bad enough; being an eligible bachelor with no one to protect him from the dancing is worse still. Jim is Spock's only friend, however, and Spock would never hurt his friend by leaving early or worse, upsetting one of Jim's guests.

Even if he weren't here for Jim, Spock was raised well. He has a title and all the learning that comes with it. He knows how to conduct himself.

There is no excuse, then, for his behavior when he meets Leonard and Joanna McCoy. Joanna is a young girl, one with wide, inquisitive eyes, who performs an admirable curtsy considering how little she must engage the skill. Her father, on the other hand, executes a perfunctory bow- an act that ought to offend Jim but instead makes him laugh.

"I've heard of you, Dr. McCoy," he says lightly. "You were quite a surgeon when you practiced in San Francisco."

McCoy nods, though his eyes are fixed on Spock. There is an intelligence in them, but also an interest, something assessing. Spock can only hope he measures up.

"I was good at my job," McCoy says before looking down at his child. "But without my wife to care for her, my daughter needed someone to watch over her.” He pets the top of her head almost absently. “I assume you were wondering what brought me to such a rural place?"

Jim smiles one of his easy smiles. He isn't easily put off by failures of the social sort. McCoy's divorce is a matter even Spock has heard of, which must explain the man's rueful expression and willingness to explain.

He looks at his daughter with nothing but affection, however- a look she returns easily- and Spock finds the sight comforting. It was no fault of the girl's that her parents broke their union, and it would have soured Spock's opinion of McCoy had the man been the type to blame her.

He need not have worried. The bond between them is clear.

"So, Mr. Spock," McCoy says, turning his keen gaze away from Jim, "do you dance?"

A bolt of dread runs through Spock at the thought. "I have rarely met a dancer of my caliber," he says meekly, thinking of the unfortunate few experiences he has had, "and as such have rarely had the experience."

One of McCoy's eyebrows quirks up, his expression turning sharp. "Ah, yes, we rural folk are rarely acquainted with the new dances of the city."

The dig surprises Spock. He had thought the doctor was taking well to him.

His confusion only grows when McCoy coolly asks him to dance.

Perhaps the invitation would not have taken him by surprise had he been looking at the man's face rather than drinking in McCoy's solid legs and wide shoulders, his soft-looking surgeon’s hands.

"No, I think not," Spock says automatically, his mind swamped with images of him stepping on McCoy's toes or blurting out his attraction.

He knows he made a mistake when McCoy's mobile face twitches into offense, but Spock is given no opportunity to ameliorate the situation.

"I see," McCoy says, his voice tight. "Thank you for your candor. Now, if you'll excuse us, my daughter  _ would _ like to dance, and I cannot disappoint her."

Jim assents, and both McCoys disappear.

"I know," Spock says before Jim can speak. "It was a mistake."

"That's unlike you, Spock."

"I am aware."

Jim moves on quickly after that, though he continues to shoot Spock strange looks throughout the evening. Spock finds them easy to ignore, his mind drawn back to McCoy. He cannot help but watch each time the father and daughter appear through the crowd as they dance.

Jim dances with nearly everyone by the time the dance is over- including both McCoys. The doctor is a graceful dancer, and Spock, despite his misgivings, knows it would have been better to have said yes.

Mercifully, he makes it through the evening without a second invitation.

  
  


**ii.**

Spock is watching Leonard. This is not wholly bad- they’re dancing together, after all, and if Spock were not looking at him, they would likely end up hurting each other or stumbling into another couple. The trouble is in the way Spock is watching him. 

Leonard does not like Spock, and Spock does not like Leonard. The only thing that keeps them from ripping each other apart is their mutual friendship with Jim Kirk. Without him, all Leonard and Spock would do is fight. 

Spock seems to have forgotten that.

He has been regarding Leonard from above with an unusual softness during their dance- a dance brought about by Spock’s own mysterious hand. He walked up to Leonard in the middle of the previous dance and asked, out of the blue, if Leonard would like to dance with him, and Leonard, who had been ill prepared for a surprise invitation, had not known what to say other than yes.

“What do you want?” Leonard asks now, bristling.

Spock tilts his head. “Who says I want anything, Doctor?”

“Your face says it.”

“I assure you. You are misreading my features.”

Misreading, Leonard’s ass. He hasn’t spent five years dealing with Spock to have started misreading the damn man now. He knows when Spock is working himself up to something, and that is exactly what the miserable bastard is doing now. 

“Spock,” Leonard warns as they spin around a corner just a touch too aggressively, “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I want you to know, the answer is no.”

“A typically reductive idea.” Yet Spock’s lips twitch, and Leonard’s hackles rise.

“The next time you need a shot-”

“You will shove it up my backside. Yes, I am familiar with the threat, Leonard.”

Leonard blinks, thrown by Spock’s gentle tone. Something is definitely going on.

Spock refuses to be drawn out, however, neatly sidestepping or blatantly ignoring every attempt Leonard makes at getting him to reveal what he is thinking.

He remains inscrutable through the entirety of the dance, to the point where Leonard starts missing steps because he’s more focused on luring Spock out than on his footwork.

When the song ends, Spock pulls back but does not leave.

“What?” Leonard asks, prickling. “You’re looking at me funny again.”

Spock shakes his head. “It is nothing. Thank you for the dance, Leonard.” 

With that, he walks away, leaving Leonard to frown after him, feeling as though he is missing something obvious.

  
  


**iii.**

Summer hits the town hard. It always does, and Leonard, as always, spends his days treating fools who stay out too long and work too hard. 

“More Pedialite,” he says to a man who gave his wife a fright when he passed out on their porch. Holding out a script, he adds pointedly, “For the baby.”

His patient gawps at him, but the wife laughs and accepts the paper. She pats her husband’s arm and settles in next to him as the IV does its thing and rehydrates the fool. Working outside in this weather… He deserves the bump he got, and he’s damn lucky it wasn’t worse.

Leonard expects to see the man back in a week, two at most.

Country folk just don’t rest, he thinks tiredly. He ought to know that by now, but it still catches him off-guard each summer when he gets swamped with dehydrated fools.

More than that, though, he’s caught off-guard by a particular face in the next room.

“Mr. Spock?” he asks.

Spock looks up, his expression decidedly unhappy. Leonard takes in the man’s appearance- dirty and disheveled, a scrape on one cheek, his normally unnaturally smooth hair ruffled- and sighs.  _ Another one, then. _

“I think I can guess what happened, but go on. Let’s hear it.”

Spock coughs lightly and looks away. “I was given some distressing news and overreacted,” he admits, his eyes flicking back to Leonard. “I admit it was a poor decision to try to run five miles after leading a scholarly, sedentary life, but I was… moved to action.”

Leonard resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Any chance you’d care to share the news?”

“I…” Spock’s jaw works as he thinks. “It was impressed upon me that you were overburdened. I mistook the care of a patient for an overworked doctor for a more severe situation.” His voice softens as he adds, “I am glad to see I was wrong.”

There is more to the story than that- Leonard can see that clearly. He can also see, however, that this is as far as Spock is comfortable going. According to the chart, there is no call for Leonard to investigate further- yet- so he resists the urge to press and merely informs Spock that he will require some time with an IV and that in the future he ought to take more concern for his own health.

He can’t help but feel himself softening toward Spock as he turns to leave. They may not get along well, but it’s good to know there are still men willing to run headlong into the heat just because someone might be in danger.

Perhaps there is a heart under that cold exterior after all.

  
  


**iv.**

Spock’s luck has never been good; he knows that. He was born to an aristocratic father and a common mother. He turned down a chance at the intellectual pursuits he dreamed of because a man happened to make a disparaging comment about Spock’s mother. He accidentally offended the man he’s attracted to the moment they met.

And now he cannot stop seeing that man.

Leonard McCoy is everywhere. He is at every country dance, on every San Francisco street, treating every good friend of Spock’s. 

He is even at a private, uncomfortable dinner- seated next to Spock.

One glimmer of good fortune is that McCoy does not seem to be in the mood to fight. Usually he picks at Spock, nettling him at every opportunity, but tonight he is quiet, even withdrawn. Spock is immediately worried; in their short acquaintanceship, he has come to realize that a quiet McCoy is an unhappy one.

It is not Spock’s place to worry about Leonard McCoy, yet worry he does.

Spock’s aunt is throwing the party, and while Spock loves her, in a way, she has poor manners when it comes to common people. Even esteemed ones like McCoy are below her socially, never mind that McCoy has done more to better humanity in his few years as a surgeon than Spock’s aunt has done in her life. His mind is as quick as his fingers, and if only Spock had not offended the man when they first met…

Taking a risk, Spock clears his throat. McCoy looks up from his study of his plate immediately, a look of concern on his face. 

It is any good doctor’s reaction, Spock reminds himself firmly. McCoy has no hidden fondness for Spock to match what Spock feels for him.

“How is your clinic?” Spock asks. “I heard you were looking for funding.”

McCoy nods carefully. “I was- I am. It’s difficult, in these times, to ask for money. But ask I must. Someone might be convinced to part with some funds for the less fortunate, and I cannot in good conscience leave the asking to my patients.”

“I would not assume you would.” Spock swallows hard and sets down his fork. “My family is, as you know, quite comfortable. Yet you have not asked me.”

“Is there any point?” McCoy asks, one brow quirking. “You have made your feelings on the lower class quite clear.”

Spock refuses to wince. “Yet I would have you ask me.”

“You would have me prostrate myself.”

“I would not.”

Eyes narrowing, McCoy says, “Very well. Mr. Spock, I run a clinic for the underprivileged. Could I convince you to part with some of your money to support it- and them?”

“You could. How much are you looking to part me from, Doctor?”

It is a shameful ploy, to use the suffering of other humans to further his quest to secure, at the very least, a friendship with McCoy, but Spock is not above it. It is logical to show this side of himself, a side with which McCoy is not acquainted, to counterbalance their initial stumbling.

“You-” McCoy frowns. “You would donate to us?”

“I would.”

“We should- That is, thank you, but- Perhaps we can discuss this further in another place?”

Of course. It would be uncouth to discuss monetary affairs at the dinner table. “Gladly, Doctor. I will come around to the clinic in two days, and we can discuss it then- if that pleases you?”

The question is a gamble, but tonight, Spock’s luck is reversed. McCoy nods and says it does please him. 

They turn away from each other after that. Spock cannot help but be relieved.

  
  


**v.**

This was a mistake. Leonard knew that the moment his uncle mentioned the name Spock next to the word dinner. Spock can barely stand Leonard; sharing a meal with him, in Spock’s family home, could only inflame that distaste. It was only natural, then, that Leonard would say yes. Mistake or not, the dinner would at least give him the satisfaction of putting Spock off.

Yet that isn’t how the dinner is going. It’s been more than pleasant, especially once everyone was seated and Leonard found himself placed next to an amiable friend of Spock’s, a man named James Kirk. Kirk is something of an explorer, and he is eager to hear what Leonard knows about makeshift surgeries. 

It isn’t a subject that’s easily discussed in good company, but Leonard manages to convey what he knows to his new acquaintance. Kirk seems impressed, and indeed, a moment later, he tells Leonard so.

“You sure know your stuff,” he says brightly, eyes shining. “Spock did say you were a smart man, but he didn’t say how smart. But that’s Spock for you, always going for understatement. He wouldn’t use a hyperbole if his life were on the line.”

Leonard blinks, thrown. “I was a surgeon here in San Francisco before I moved to the countryside,” he says out of habit. “I wasn’t aware Spock spoke about me.”

“No? He practically sang your praises when he first described you.” Kirk snorts between spoonfuls of soup. “I’ve never known him to be so effusive.”

“Nor have I,” Leonard admits, taking in this new information without knowing what to do with it. He glances toward the head of table where a harassed-looking Spock is sitting beside their hostess. “You’re certain he meant me?”

“I don’t suppose you know another doctor named Leonard McCoy in the area?”

“I don’t.”

Kirk puts his spoon back in his bowl and turns to face Leonard more fully. “Spock is my dearest friend. I would defend him with my life. But I am not unaware of his demeanor.” He shakes his head. “Spock is not a demonstrative man by nature, but I assure you, Doctor, he is one of the greatest men I have ever had the honor of knowing. His praise is not something to be belittled.”

Leonard swallows down a protest. He is a guest here. Why Spock chose not to disclose their fraught relationship, Leonard does not know, and this is not the time to investigate.

“Thank you, Mr. Kirk,” he says instead, electing to take the least offensive path.

Kirk smiles another of his wide smiles. “Please, call me Jim. I can sense you and I are going to get along well.”

  
  


**vi.**

Leonard pulls his daughter into a rough embrace. “Thank God,” he says into her hair. “Thank God you’re alright.”

She nods and clings to him all the harder. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I’m so sorry.”

“Hush, girl. You’re home now, and you’re safe. That’s all that matters. You hear me?” He tugs her away, the better to look into her eyes. “All that matters to me is that my little girl is back with me, healthy as can be.”

She nods, and he wraps his arms around her once more. They stand in the middle of the room, swaying gently, for more minutes than Leonard cares to count. Jo will always be his little girl, but nearly losing her to a man with nothing good on his mind has reminded him that she’s nearly of the age where he will have to let her go.

He senses that won’t be for a while yet- not after their close call with disaster.

They part eventually and make to sit down on the settee, only for Leonard to catch sight of Spock making his away from the house.

“Jo, love, you’ll be all right on your own here for a moment, won’t you?” he asks, even as he takes a step toward the door.

She frowns but nods, and Leonard takes off. He has to run to overtake Spock, dodging Spock’s servants in pursuit of their master. It takes him a while- and a lot of yelling- but eventually he draws even with Spock.

Breathing hard, he puts his hands on his knees and lets himself catch his breath.

“Is something the matter, Doctor?” Spock asks, looking distressed. “It is not your daughter, is it? If anything has happened to her, I promise you-”

“Joanna is well,” Leonard pants. “Thanks to you.”

Tension immediately leaks out of Spock’s frame. “That is good to hear. I am only sorry I could not intervene before she was endangered.”

Leonard shakes his head. “Jo’s just like her father, I’m afraid. She’s got a nose for trouble.”

“Nevertheless, as I revealed to you, I have long been aware of Nero’s true nature.”

“Yes, you told me about your friend, the girl who was nearly taken in by him.” Leonard pauses. “She is well, isn’t she? You never said.”

“My friend is indeed well,” Spock says, his lips curving into a slight smile.

“That’s good to hear.” Leonard means it, but this is not the conversation he meant to have. “You saved my daughter from a good deal of pain- and through her, me. To say nothing of ignominy. You’ve done my family a great service, Mr. Spock.”

Spock shakes his head. “It was merely the right thing to do.”

“You’ve given us a place in your home,” Leonard objects. “You went to fetch Joanna yourself so you could tell her you were acquainted with me- and what an acquaintance I’ve made of myself.” He shakes his head. “I was unfair to you, and in return, you saved my daughter.”

“As I said-”

“Take my thanks,” Leonard snaps. He relents a moment later, adding softly, “And my apologies. You are clearly a good man; it was wrong of me ever to doubt it.”

“I did not present myself well, in your defense.”

“Again, you prove yourself the better man.” Leonard shakes his head, huffing slightly at himself. He swallows hard, but after a moment, he holds out a hand. “I am pleased to know you, Mr. Spock.”

Spock frowns, and Leonard’s heart sinks. He can’t say he’s surprised, however. He has done little to earn any kind feelings from Spock.

As he pulls his hand back, however, Spock’s own shoots out and takes it in a firm grasp.

“And I to know you, Dr. McCoy,” he says in that rich voice of his.

“You’ll have tea with my daughter and I, won’t you?” Leonard asks, suddenly desperate to keep Spock near. “I’m certain Joanna would like to thank you again for what you did for her.”

“Thanks are not necessary.”

“She would also like to get to know you,” Leonard adds, sweetening the pot. “As would I. You remain a figure of mystery, Mr. Spock. Indulge us in a little human curiosity.”

Spock nods his assent, and together, comfortably, they make their way back to the house.

Just outside the door, Spock stops. He takes a breath and turns back to face Leonard.

“Doctor,” he says haltingly, hands clenching at his sides, “you and I have had our differences. I know this. But I believe- I have to believe- that you have seen that there is more than arguments between us.”

Here it is. Leonard knows that look, remembers it from a nervous morning years ago. He draws a shaky breath. “You didn’t go after Nero just for Jo, did you?”

“I did not.” Spock takes a step closer. His voice drops as he says, “There were many ways to resolve the situation with Nero. I chose this one because I hoped it would bring you the most joy.”I

“And that’s something important to you?”

“Very important. Perhaps even the most important.” He lifts a hand to Leonard’s face. “I would very much like to kiss you, Leonard.”

Leonard covers Spock’s hand with one of his own. “Then kiss me.”

It is a sweet kiss-  _ hello  _ and  _ finally  _ and  _ I want you  _ all rolled into one. Leonard puts a hand on the back of Spock’s head, keeping him close even after they part.

“I’d like to bring you joy, too, you know.”

Spock’s smile looks wide enough to hurt, but he does not complain as he and Leonard head inside.


End file.
